Monday, March 24, 2014

Cornershop are a band that have always seemed a little out
of place, as much by design as anything else. The brainchild of leader
Tjinder Singh, Cornershop combined pop and rock, funk and hip-hop and a whole
bunch of other sounds and styles with an undercurrent of traditional Indian
music that occasionally makes its way to the top. Seemingly as an answer
to the massive Britpop scene, Singh sought to add his own ethnic heritage to
the mix and came up with a sound that transcends any particular trend or time
period. After the independently released debut Hold On It Hurts and
major label debut Woman's Got To Have It, Singh and company put it all
together for third album When I Was Born For the Seventh Time and the
result was one of the best albums of the late 90s.

"Sleep on the Left Side" opens the album with a laid back funky
groove and poppy melody. Things really pickup with the undeniably catchy
"Brimful of Asha," an infectious pop song with sitar strumming
courtesy of Ben Ayres, the only other constant in the band besides Singh.
A remix by Fatboy Slim got some attention a few years later but even that can't
beat the charm and bounce of the original. The album contains several
instrumentals that provide short blasts of hip-hop inspired funk. These
aren't just filler though. They help tie together the various strands of
the album and the best, like "Candy Man" and "Butter the
Soul," stand out on their own. The album hits its peak with
"We're in Yr Corner," as a hypnotic beat backs Ayres’ sitar and Singh
sings in Punjabi.

The band scores a major coup in getting legendary beat poet Allen Ginsberg to
contribute a spoken word piece "When the Light Appears Boy." It
was one of the final recordings Ginsberg made before his death and works well
with the worldly feel of the album. Another infectious pop moment comes
with "Good Shit" (retitled "Good Ship" for radio
play). The song features a great example of the clever word play Singh
often employs, as well as being a great feel-good jam. Cornershop takes
what may actually be its most surprising turn with the country flavored
"Good to Be on the Road Back Home." Singh duets with Paula
Frazer and comes up with another great set of lyrics married to a catchy
tune. It doesn't seem at all out of place, fitting in nicely with the
album's eclectic vibe. The album concludes with a little wink, a faithful
cover of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" sung in Punjabi. It's a
clever way to end an album that takes listeners on a journey through the sounds
and interests of its creators. Cornershop and Singh have been up and down
in the years since When I Was Born For the Seventh Time, but the album
remains one of the finest of its era. It may not have been a big hit, but
it certainly deserves to be discovered and appreciated.